Morgan Pressel finding comfort in old-school approach, as she seeks first top 10 in 2 years

LOS ANGELES – Morgan Pressel has always loved old-school golf. She appreciates that tees and greens are close at Wilshire Country Club, where there’s an emphasis on precision both off the tee and into the small, challenging greens. It’s a placement course.

“You’ve got to have a good short game around here,” said Pressel, “which I’ve been practicing a lot.”

Pressel posted a 3-under 68 in Round 2 of the HUGEL-JTBC LA Open, putting her in a tie for seventh. The former phenom’s best finish of the season thus far came at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup, where she tied for 39th. Pressel’s last top-10 finish came in June of 2016, when she finished runner-up at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

Pressel, who turns 30 in May, tries not to put too much emphasis now on what happens day to day at the office. She’s thinking long-term progression. To get there, Pressel has gone old school, reconnecting with her childhood coach, Martin Hall. Some of the things they work on now she’s been hearing since she was 10 years old.

“The biggest thing is my swing plane,” said Pressel. “I knew that since I was a kid, swing plane was so important, and that’s really something that I knew that he could help me and want to help me get back, with the club in front of me. My clubs had really gotten way too far behind and underneath, so every day, trying to inch it more on plane.”

She currently feels more positive, and more comfortable, than she has in years.

Pressel birdied three consecutive holes on the back side to put herself in position for the weekend. When asked about the length of her long-term plan, Pressel said as long as it takes.

“Some days it’s more frustrating than others,” she said, “but I know where I want to go and what I need to do to get there. Just takes a little bit of time and some reps, and then a whole other step to take it to the golf course.”